


Quest

by Mercia



Series: Femslash February 2019 [16]
Category: Marvel, Runaways (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Alternate Universe - Rapunzel Fusion, Attempt at Humor, F/F, Femslash February, First Meetings, Fluff and Humor, Meet-Cute, Rapunzel AU, kind of?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-17
Updated: 2019-02-17
Packaged: 2019-10-29 23:44:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17817779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mercia/pseuds/Mercia
Summary: Karolina tried for what was her nicest smile and bowed.“I have come to rescue you from the, erm,” and she glanced around quickly. “From the witch.”The Princess laughed. “The witch, huh?” she said, and then smirked and turned away from the window.





	Quest

**Author's Note:**

> finally... deanoru <3

The forest was dark and chilly, despite it being the middle of the afternoon. The trees grew up and up, seemingly endless, the trunks wide enough that maybe if she hollowed them out she could live in one. The branches were wild and overgrown, blocking out the sun and trapping the damp and shadow inside. Every now and then, little patches of sun would manage to spill onto the mossy ground like puddles of hot gold, reminding Karolina that, supposedly, it was summer.

Well, she sighed in resignation, those were enchanted forests for you. Doing everything in its power to appear even more daunting and eerie, make you try to turn back and get lost and go in circles. That was the thing, after ten paces, you weren’t supposed to turn back — especially if you’d strayed off the path.

There was nothing to worry about, they were only trees after all, she told herself furiously. She tripped over another tree root and cursed.

She wouldn’t be doing this if she weren’t so damned stubborn. She could have been at home, comfortable, perhaps reading a good book, or baking some delicious cookies, maybe out and actually enjoying the sunlight.

But her mother had said something about the boys in the village going to rescue a maiden from a tower, and Karolina’s father had made some stupid remark about rescuing damsels and how he was glad he didn’t have to worry about his daughter going on quests because  _it wasn’t her place_. And Karolina just  _had_ to be stubborn and stupid and prove him wrong, and had gone up to the Village chief — coincidentally Karolina’s other father — to demand the quest for herself and he'd… he’d  _agreed_.

In fact, Jonah had seemed pleased by it, daring her almost, to do it.

And if that hadn’t sent warning bells to her brain, at least the woods seemed to be doing their job. Even if it was a bit late.

She hadn’t heard a lot about the princess, only that she was a little shy, wore chains around her neck, had incredibly long black hair, and was guarded by a powerful witch.it was not a lot to go on, considering most quests started this way.

She was tired and sweaty, despite the chill, by the time she reached the clearing with the tower. Half her water supply was drained already, and Karolina had long given up on the stupid map Jonah had given her, because she knew the woods would find a way to get her where she was supposed to be, even if sometimes what was not where she wanted to be.

Luckily, things seemed to have worked out in her favour, for once.

Karolina cleared her throat, tried to lower the pitch of her voice as best as she could, and cautiously approached the tower. Hopefully, the  _witch_ would be out on a grocery run, or something.

“Fair maiden,” she called and winced. She didn’t sound like a muscley, masculine Prince at all. “Fair maiden, Let down your hair!”

It was a few minutes before anyone answered, and Karolina was about to start calling again, because perhaps the princess was sleeping or something.

A head poked out of the window at the very top of the tower. The Princess’s midnight hair catching the wind, the collar and chains about her neck glinting in the sun. Carolina held her breath.

“For crying out loud,” spoke the Princess finally. “I’m  _not_ interested—”, and then their eyes met and her eyes widened and she paused. “Oh,” she breathed softly. “You’re  _cute_.”

And… that had not been the reaction Karolina had been expecting. Her jaw dropped slightly but she quickly righted herself. She had a quest to complete, after all, and people to prove wrong.

Karolina tried for what was her nicest smile and bowed.

“I have come to rescue you from the, erm,” and she glanced around quickly. “From the witch.”

The Princess laughed. “The  _witch_ , huh?” she said, and then smirked and turned away from the window.

Karolina coughed, and tried again.  _No wonder they said she was shy_ , she mused to herself, _boys could never take the rejection_. She took a deep breath.

“Will you let down your hair,  _please_?”

“Depends,” quipped the Princess, sounding very well versed in this conversation, and she probably was.

“On?”

There was no reply for a second, and then Karolina watched the Princess literally leap from the window, tumbling gracefully through the air to land effortlessly on the grass of the clearing. Karolina tried not to gape. Which was difficult.

Maybe she had found the wrong tower?

The Princess was dressed fully in a gauzy black dress, lace and everything, there was a long staff in her hand, glowing faintly; the collar around her neck was not attached to anything, and the chains hung off her loosely too; and her hair, though a little on the long side, was at a relatively normal length.

The Princess — if she was, in fact, the Princess — smiled, teeth showing in an almost threatening manner. Despite herself, Karolina blushed. She was still very pretty, though, the rumours had gotten that right at least.

“What is the name of my would-be rescuer?” asked the Princess, stepping forward. She held herself up with an air of bravado, whether it was true or not, she didn’t know, but Karolina couldn’t help but marvel slightly at it.

“Karolina Dean,” she said, and gave a little curtsy this time, though she was not wearing a skirt. She smiled. “And yours, fair maiden?”

The Princess wavered slightly, her gaze shifting away to look at the ground and her grip on her staff tightening visibly. “Oh,” she said, a falsely nonchalant tone in her voice. “There are many. Princess, as you said —” and she gave a small, strained smile, “ —or Nico Minoru, or  _Witch_.”

Oh.

Karolina really should have seen that coming, the girl was holding a staff after all and had all but flown from the top of her tower, and —

Yeah, it should have been obvious.

The…  _the subject of her quest_  was still looking at her cautiously, awaiting her response. Upon closer inspection, she was trembling, just a little, though Karolina had no doubt she was perfectly capable, and she hadn’t realised before how much shorter the girl was to her. It was kind of adorable.

“What would you prefer?” she asked.

The girl bit her lip thoughtfully, and this time when she smiled it seemed genuine. “I like you,” she decided finally. “You can call me Nico.”

**Author's Note:**

>  **[Bonus:  
> **  
>  “what’s with the long hair thing?”
> 
>  
> 
> **“Magic, obviously. I didn’t think those knights would actually try to climb it. I mean, who does that?”**
> 
>  
> 
> **“and the whole chains and stuff?”**
> 
>  
> 
> **“It’s an aesthetic.”]**


End file.
